UPDATE:
I recently had the opportunity to sit down to chat
with Debra Gainey about her situation with the police department in Greer, SC and was appalled by the actions of Officers Stewart and the Greer police department as a whole. Religious discrimination is never okay, as the Greer, South Carolina police department should be well aware, and I think it is safe to say that religious discrimination describes Debra and Tony's encounters with the P.D. to a tee. Fallon
The interview can be viewed at:
http://pagansunited.com/itsapolicething.htm
What happened? (Background)
"My Husband, Tony, and I were on our way home from Wal-mart. While shopping I had begun to experience joint pain (I have Degenerative Joint Disease), so my husband, in a kind gesture, offered to drive the five miles home. Halfway home we were pulled over by the Greer Police. No reason was given for the stop and when I asked, I was told there had been none. My husband had failed to get his driver’s license reinstated five years ago, so when he was asked for his, he handed them his old one. We had documents in
the glove box verifying insurance coverage from the time the car was purchased until the beginning of this year, but we had insurance, the papers were just at home. After the Officers checked our ID’s and found nothing, they then checked the plate on the car. We were told that the plates were the wrong ones. They would not tell us whose they were, only that they belonged on a Chevy. They searched the car and found nothing (although they thought they had found something when they came across a geode in the glove
box), and then called a tow truck to take the car
overnight, even though we only lived three minutes away. My husband was hand cuffed and arrested. I was not arrested, but taken to the jail with my husband, along with our frozen food. At the jail, my husband had to show them how to use their new fingerprinting machine (he is in school majoring in programming). He was released on a signature bond even though he never saw a judge.
The interesting part of this incident happened at the back of our car. Officer Stewart asked us if we had put the bumper stickers on or if the car had come that way. I, of course, told the truth and said I had put them on. The officer wanted to know what they meant so I explained that I was an ordained minister of the Emerald Sanctuary Druidic Church. The conversation continued and then Officer Stewart asked me if my church supported me. I asked him to explain what he
meant by support and he clarified it as meaning
‘spiritually fulfilling’. He then begins witnessing to
me and my husband. As they were putting my husband into the police car, and I was getting the bags of groceries out of the back seat, Officer Stewart came over to me and handed me $40.00 to help get the car out of impound and told me he would be writing the letter (exhibited below). At the police station he continued to witness to me.
They never offered to report our tag as stolen. They left the tag on the car and did not hold it in impound until all proper documents were produced. They had plainly stated that there had not been any reason to have stopped us in the beginning, “but it doesn’t matter, the plates are wrong.”
Granted, my husband should not be driving, and he doesn’t, except this one time when I was in pain and we needed to get home. He was in the process to reinstate his license at the time this occured. We have bought new plates for the car, since our old plates are gone. And, thankfully a family member is the Chief of Police in another location, so we were able to find out who the plates belonged to. " (Debra Gainey)
THE INTERVIEW:
DB: Good morning, Fallon.
FG: Good morning, Debra. How are you?
DB: Sinus headache.
FG: Those are always a joy.
FG: Were you ever given a reason for being pulled
over?
DG: I asked Officer Lozada "Why did you turn on the 'blue lights'?"
His reply was 'That's how I get people to stop."
I then rephrased my question as "Why did you want us to stop?"
His answer was "No reason, but it doesn't matter
because your plate is wrong."
This occured after my husband was in handcuffs, in the patrol car, and as they were placing me in the patrol car with him.
FG: Wow. Has he admitted to that as of yet?
DG: I do not know, but I doubt it as he is claiming he did not know that Officer Stewart was witnessing to me. He says he was in the car with my husband. This is strange since he was going back and forth from our car to the patrol car. Tony (my husband) had not been arrested as yet. Stewart began the conversation about
"faith" with my husband at the back of our car.
FG: Why was your husband arrested?
DG: He is not sure why he was arrested. They did not give me a reason, just told me that I was 'being transported'. My husband assumes it was either for the license or insurance but he is only guessing as he was not told. It is common practice here that you do not have to be told why or have your rights read to you on something like a traffic ticket. He also never saw a
judge to be released.
FG: How long were you held before you were released?
DG: We were at the station about an hour and half to two hours. We were pulled over at 11:15 PM and got home right at 2AM.
FG: What was the mix up with the tags exactly? I read that they belonged to another car, but I'm a little confused about that. Was there a mix up when you guys were sent the tags?
DG: The tags belonged to a Chevy truck. This was all the Officers would tell us. We have also been told that we were negligent in not checking the plate on the car everytime we get in it to be sure it is our plate. As far as we can tell, they were switched by someone who wanted different plates for whatever reason. (A retired officer has told us this happens when someone needs to conceal their identiy for activities such as bank roberies, drug deals, etc.)
The City Attorney is claiming that there is a major
problem in South Carolina with people going and buying plates from vehicles that they know are good when they can't renew their tags. To buy plates here, you have to prove ownership, payment of taxes, have insurance and a valid ID. To replace lost/stolen tags you have to have all that plus your birth certificate. (I guess there must be a lot of identity theft too.) But it
would seem easier just to renew your plates than go through all this. So, the short of it is... our tags were stolen. We did not know it until that night. We have bought new tags (and still have the one that was on the car that night too).
FG: Ok, I can understand that. My mother had her tags stolen when I was a kid.
FG: Where there any other officers involved in the
stop?
DG: He (Lozada) called for back-up and they arrived about the same time as the tow truck, right before we both were taken to the police station. (I was NOT arrested but was detained and transported to the Police Station.) One of the cars that responded as back up took us to the station. My husband was not placed in Lozada's car as he claimed. He says that he was unaware of Stewarts conversation because he was in
his patrol car with my husband in the back. (Tony was never in Lozada's car.)
FG:So, you and your husband were pulled over and
Officer Stewart started a conversation about faith
with your husband. When did he start witnessing to you?
DG: As soon as we reached the trunk of the car (which was his suggestion). He asked us if the bumper stickers came on the car or if we put them on.
FG: I've been witnessed too, so I can imagine what was being said. But, for those that may not know what you mean when you say witnessing, could you give me an idea of what he was saying to ya'll?
DG: He told us that he is a Baptist minister (which
his church was not aware of) and that he had been put in our path to tell us we are not doing what God wants us to do. He asked if our church supported us. I asked him to clarify what he meant by support and he said "spiritually fulfilling". We told him yes, most certainly.
FG:Was he asked to stop?
DG:I have usually found that when someone is informed that you are the minister at your church they realize this means to stop. But to directly say stop, no. After all, he is a Police Officer that has detained you.
FG: I can understand that.
DG: One of the things I have recently learned about SC is that the volunteer/reserve officers here have the SAME privilages and authority has a regular Officer. They just don't get paid. The uniform is the same, the badge, the gun, etc.
FG: Was anyone else involved in the witnessing other than Officer Stewart?
DG: He was the only one who spoke...other officers at the scene and at the station were present when he was witnessing to us, but no one involved themselves except to listen.
FG: I understand he wrote you a letter later on. What was his reason for this?
DG: I guess because he had told me he was and he wanted to make sure we 'heard' his message and knew exactly where to come to repent. "I mentioned to Deborah that I would be sending something that I wanted you to respond to." the letter says.
FG: Has the PD done anything about the letter?
DG: Not that we are aware of.
FG: When was the police station first contacted about his actions?
DG: This happened on June 10th, I first spoke with
Chief Reynolds on June 20th by phone and then email, sending the letter to him. I followed up with a certified/return receipt on June 24th, to be able to verify our contact about this. We also have the voicemail recording from him when he first received the email from me. The letter was to place in writing our concern about the situation.
DG: OK...excuse me...I am going back and forth between this screen and the word documents...the first letter was sent June 21st with a second letter on the 22nd after receiving a phone call from Lt. Pressley that everything had been taken care of. He could not tell me what had been done since it was "police affairs" and the public was "not allowed" to know.
FG: Has the police department been any help?
DG: They are still investigating why the stop was
made. They are now saying our car drew attention
because of a broken window. We have no broken
windows. We have one window that is either up or down as the motor for it burned up, and one that the driver can put down but not up (can only be put up at the button on the door). Niether are something that you see. And both of these windows were up that night. DG: They had a two hour interview with us about the end of June. They went over the car with us to make sure all lights and signals worked to rule that out as
a reason for the stop. The interview also included
them wanting to know where and when I shopped, who and where family members lived in Greer, where my son works (he was with us as a witness for the interview). We gladly answered all of their questions about the stop but refused to answer these questions about our personal life and family. We were told we needed to
write a detailed statement about that night and get it to Lt. Pressley.
DG: We have not done this as the interview should have generated our statements, per what we were told when we agreed to the interview. At the interview we were also told that Stewart was claiming I started the conversation by saying "Why is God doing this to us?"
FG: What has happened with the case thus far? (Has Officer Stewart been relieved of duty? Was an apology ever given?)
DG: The voluntieer program has been discontinued, because of the costs of the program they say. Officer Lozada's employement with Greer PD ended on June 28th (same day we had the interview). The evidence that we have requested has not been supplied. Only one item
has been released from the 6 that we requested. Since the ACLU announced their involvment, the city attorney has offered to let us 'off' with the minimun fines and fees ($1000), if we plead guilty and drop everything. No apology has been made.
FG: Whats next? Are you going to take the department to court for religious discrimination or do you just want an apology and a close to the entire ordeal?
DG: We have asked from the beginning for an apology, not just to us, but to all the others that he (Stewart) has done this to for the last 14 years. We have also asked for a training program to be initiated for all city employees, so that they will have an understanding of what is and is not allowed while at work or in any sort of official rellationship with a citizen. (We recently had a thing about a calendar that was published by a city department that was Christian and quoting scripture).
DG: It looks like Greer will force us to go as far as
needed to accomplish this. If it takes a lawsuit to
establish that these sort of actions are not American, then I guess that is what they will force us to do. I don't suppose I will ever understand why some people will be so willfull and stubborn when it is so clearly wrong.
DG: My husband just spoke with the ACLU attorney and I wanted you to be the first to know what happened.
DG: As I told you, the city has offered to cut the
fines and fees in half. The ACLU has made a return offer. They've asked that we not discuss this publicly as of yet. We are waiting to hear back from the city attorney.
FG: Oh, good luck!
FG: What can the Pagan community can do to assist you and Tony?
DG: Please help us keep the facts straight and in the minds of those who feel it can't or won't happen to them. It can and at the rate things are going, will. If we allow our rights to be stripped away because of "that's the way we do it" or "it is common practice," then the fight that our ancestors have fought was in vain. Everyone has had someone who has fought for freedom somewhere at sometime. That is why we ALL are
here in America. And if we don't stand up for
ourselves, then who will? I can't think of another
country that will come here to help us win back our rights, so it is up to us to do it.
FG: Very well said.
DG: Thanks... I want to be able to go to the grocery store without having to look over my shoulder.) We don't intend on dishonoring our ancestors (my 7th great grandfather was a minute man directly under Washington's command) and the Deities, by not taking a stand. At PPD last year, I was honored with having written the closing ritual. It was called On Common
Ground and was to unify the community and encourge commitment from the communty. As a part of it, everyone was to silently pledge to their deity what they were willing to do. I guess this is what they want my husband and myself to do.
FG: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me this
morning.
DG: Thank you for taking an interest in the case.
The Letter From Officer Stewart:
"Tony & Deborah
I mentioned to Deborah that I would be sending
something that I wanted you to respond to. Although the timing and setting may seem unlikely, our meeting on Friday Night June 10th was actually destined to happen. Let me explain: As a law enforcement officer, I am a reserve, meaning that I am an unpaid volunteer.
The reason I have volunteered for the last 14 years is so that I can be at the places where God would have me to be and at the right time. You see, I have been a victim myself. I know poverty, alcohol and drug abuse and many of the other things my brothers and sisters know first hand. I felt your pain!
I can feel the pain of others when luck seems to
always be bad. I call it being a victim because, one piece of bad luck leads to another and soon, finding your way back to a place of peace is all but
impossible. Driving without the correct license or
insurance becomes a necessity. Then a cop steps in and enforces man's law and the hopeless situation only gets worse.
Sometimes, it feels like there is no answer. But there is hope. I know, because I fell further down than almost anyone I have ever met. And, slowly, I was able to come back. But, it was not without a lot of help from others. All along my journey, there were people that God sent to reach out to me and speak his wisdom to me. Often, I pushed them away. And other times, I made excuses for not responding to them.
My own free will became my worst enemy and
stubbornness and pride also worked against me. Thank God that people were continually sent to be in my crossroads. Last Friday night I was sent to be in your crossroads. You see, my passion is not to wear a badge and enforce man's law. Instead it's to be where I need to be for people like you. Yes, I do enforce Caesar's law, but I care far more about following Jesus Christ who came to make a way to him through faith and not by works or laws.
In your case, Jesus has reached out to you through me to say that he wants your attention. Chances are that he sent this intercession after hearing the prayers of someone for your welfare. Maybe it was your prayers, or maybe it was a loved one or friend who cares for you. But he did send intercession. Now, you must respond without delay and without excuses.
I see from your bumper stickers and from your
testimony that are a druid priest. I am not familiar
with the Druids enough to make conversation. But I am ordained in the Baptist church. And for whatever reason, God is calling you to listen to words from the Baptists. This is clear! If you deny this, then you are pushing away the hand of God and that would not be wise. Too many events were manipulated by God to bring us together to be a coincidence. Actually, I only police every 2nd Friday night, so just being on duty was rare.
You must respond to the words he wants you to hear. And you must be patient and faithful. It may tales weeks or month of obedience to learn the steps that it will take to get you back on the road to prosperity. One visit, a few prayers and an occasional opening of his Bible will not be enough. You must be prepared to make some serious changes and do so now! You may not
get another intercession. Who knows? But you must admit that you've been contacted by God! And you must respond. What's your next step?
I lead a bible study class on Sunday mornings at Mt. Lebanon Baptist church. It's a unique class where jeans and t-shirts are normal and many of those who attend are in some sort of crisis or toting burdens of some kind. There is no pressure to speak, pray or answer questions. God does bless us with miracles and wisdom. And there is no pressure to attend worship across the street afterwards. You are free to attend worship afterwards when and if you are ready. The
class is very small and is the next thing God wants you to do. He will speak his wisdom to you while you are there. And be prepared to come more than once. To get there: From HWY 29 in Greer, Go up HWY 14 north about 4-5 miles to Mt. Lebanon Church road on your right (look for our church sign). Turn right and go to the 4-way stop and go straight thru. We are on your left across the street from the church in the Gymnasium. 9:15 Am-10:15 AM
(*Addresses of Officer Stewart Removed) Your brother -
Tony Stewart ,_ "
Breaking News:
The City of Greer have officially apologized to the
Gainey's. The following is an excerpt from the letter of apology the Gainey's received in September of 2005:
"It is the policy of the Police Department that its
policing be unbiased and that officers respect
individuals' religious beliefs and right to free
expression. I understand that you were offended by the religious comments made by the reserve officer and that you felt intimidated by the uniformed reserve officer and were, therefore, reluctant to speak up. Whether the reserve officer was well-intended or not, I express to you my sincere regrets. I also regret that you subsequently received a religious letter sent
to you by the volunteer reserve officer while
off-duty. You have my assurance that we have brought the Department's policy to the attention of all of our Police officers to remind them of the importance of respecting the right of citizens to their own religious beliefs and that an individual's religious beliefs should in no way influence an officer's conduct. We have in the past, and will continue, to insist on unbiased policing by our law enforcement personnel."
******************************************
From: Pagan Unity Campaign South Eastern Region and Pagans United
Date: August 18, 2005
Subject: It's a Police Thing?
Contact: Fallon Glenn (tennessee_puc@yahoo.com) , Laura Wandrie (lauranewage@aol.com)
On June 10, 2005 Tony and Debra Gainey saw blue lights in their rear-view mirror and pulled over for what they thought was a routine traffic stop. They were asked to get out of the car by the Officers and were taken around to the back of their car. Officer Stewart then pointed out the bumper stickers (It's a Druid Thing amongst other Pagan related stickers) and asked if they had come on the car or if they had been placed there. Debra Gainey told the truth and was rewarded by being forced to listen to over 2 hours of witnessing by Officer Stewart both on the roadside and then at the jailhouse.
Days after the stop. Debra Gainey was surprised to see a letter from Officer Stewart in her mailbox. Even more surprising was the contents of the letter:
"I see from your bumper stickers and from your testimony that are a druid priest. I am not familiar with the Druids enough to make conversation. But I am ordained in the Baptist church. And for whatever reason, God is calling you to listen to words from the Baptists. This is clear! If you deny this, then you are pushing away the hand of God and that would not be wise. Too many events were manipulated by God to bring us together to be a coincidence. Actually, I only police every 2nd Friday night, so just being on duty was rare." (Officer Tony Stewart's letter to the Gainey's)
Pagans United and the South Eastern region of the Pagan Unity Campaign, in a joint motion, would like to remind Officer Stewart that his job as a police officer is not to seek converts to his religion but to serve and protect. Officer Stewart did neither of those things when he willingly engaged in ignoring the First Amendment rights of Tony and Debra Gainey by witnessing to them repeatedly.
We would further like to remind the Greer, South Carolina police department that it is their duty to ensure that complaints from citizens are answered in a prompt and professional matter.
It has been 2 months since the original incident occurred and the Gainey's have yet to receive the evidence they requested, a reason for being pulled over, a reason for Tony's arrest, nor the complete cooperation of the Greer police department into investigating Officer Tony Stewart's behavior.
We encourage you to take a stand against religious discrimination by demanding an apology to the Gainey's from the Greer, South Carolina Police Department. We further encourage you to call, write, email and fax your media outlets and tell them Tony and Debra Gainey's story. It is imperative that the Greer P.D. know that the American citizens will not tolerate such behavior against persons of ANY faith.
To lend your support please contact:
Debra Gainey (emeraldsanctuary@yahoo.com)
Fallon Glenn (tennessee_puc@yahoo.com)
Laura Wandrie (lauranewage@aol.com)
(Feel free to send the following letter to your media outlets:)
ATTN: ________ (Editors name here)
Sometimes police officers go to extremes and the rights of citizens are trampled. I recently learned of just such a situation in Greer, South Carolina and wanted to tell you about it.
On June 10, 2005 a Druid couple, Debra and Tony Gainey, were on their way home from Wal-Mart when they saw blue lights in their rear-view mirror. They immediately pulled to the side of the road, wondering why they had been pulled over. They were not speeding, and everything on the car was in order.
The were asked to step to the back of their car and complied. One of the officers, Officer Tony Stewart, then pointed out the bumper stickers on the back of the car and asked Rev. Gainey if they had come on the car or if they had placed the stickers there. Rev. Gainey told him the truth, that she and her husband had placed the stickers on the car.
They were then forced to listen to witnessing by Officer Stewart.Tony was never read his rights, they were never given a reason for being pulled over, yet Tony Gainey was arrested and Debra Gainey was "transported" and held for 2 hours. During this 2 hour period, they were again witnessed too by Officer Stewart and other officers did nothing. Tony Gainey never went before a judge for bond, the officers themselves set his bond.
Several days after the incident, they were surprised to receive a letter from Officer Stewart. Even more surprising, however, was what the letter contained.
"I see from your bumper stickers and from your testimony that are a druid priest. I am not familiar with the Druids enough to make conversation. But I am ordained in the Baptist church. And for whatever reason, God is calling you to listen to words from the Baptists. This is clear! If you deny this, then you are pushing away the hand of God and that would not be wise. Too many events were manipulated by God to bring us together to be a coincidence. Actually, I only police every 2nd Friday night, so just being on duty was rare." (Officer Tony Stewart's letter to the Gainey's)
As you can see, Officer Stewart over stepped his authority and the Gainey's are paying the price. They have reported the incident to the Greer police department to no avail. The evidence they have requested has not been released to them, they still have not been given a reason for the stop or for Tony's arrest. They have been blocked at every turn in demanding something be done about the actions of Officer Stewart.
This entire incident was uncalled for and the Greer police department, most especially Officer Stewart, should give the apology that the Gainey's have requested. Officers are meant to serve and protect, and as is obvious, Officer Stewart did neither of those things. Instead he chose to use his position to seek converts to his religion, ignoring the rights of the Gainey's in the process.
The Gainey's can be reached via email at: emeraldsanctuary@yahoo.com and by telephone at: 1-800-253-7011
I hope you will take the time to talk with the Gainey's about their story and report on it. Incidents like this are something the American people need to be aware of. Religious discrimination is wrong, plain and simple.
Brightest of Blessings,
____________ (sign your name)
____________ (email address or phone number)
Website: http://pagansunited.com/itsapolicething.htm
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Showing posts with label police abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label police abuse. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2009
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Police Abuse in Presidental Candidates Name: Iraq Vet Deliberately Trampled by Horse
reblogged from I-Witness Video
Last Wednesday, while presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain debated domestic policy issues in front of a live television audience at the Long Island campus of Hofstra University, Nassau county police faced off with a few hundred spirited but peaceful demonstrators. And using excessive force, police -- on horses and in full riot gear -- trampled several people including Iraq vet Nick Morgan. I-Witness Video member Emily Forman captured the ensuing bedlam, police violence, and injuries on tape.
Earlier that night, a group of protesters from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) had, in accordance with a pre-announced plan, assembled on the streets outside the Hofstra University venue where the debate was being held. IVAW had informed the police in advance that several of their members would be participating in a symbolic, non-violent, civil-disobedience action: attempting to deliver two questions for the candidates. The group has engaged in similar actions before, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Last week, at the presidential debate, the veterans hoped to ask Barack Obama if he would support soldiers who do not want to be deployed to an illegally occupied Iraq, and to ask McCain why he has voted against funding for the Veterans Administration since the beginning of the war in Iraq.
But the veterans' efforts to stage a peaceful protest last week were countered by violent police actions. After a small group of veterans was calmly taken into custody in a choreographed arrest, the police became very aggressive. The police commander on the scene ordered the horses and lines of riot police to push the crowd from the street onto the sidewalk. Mounted police officers charged into the assembled vets and other protesters, pushing the frightened people backwards and up onto the sidewalk. Riot police then forced some demonstrators to the ground, where police horses rode over them.
Former Army Reserve Sergeant Nick Morgan was caught under the hooves of a horse ridden by Nassau County police officer Quagliano. The horse stepped on Morgan's face, breaking his lower orbital (cheekbone) in three places. Bleeding heavily from his face, Morgan drifted in and out of consciousness until another police officer appeared and dragged him away from the scene. After a delay in which Nassau County police refused to take Morgan to the hospital, he was finally taken to Nassau County Medical Center, handcuffed to a gurney, given Motrin and a prescription for antibiotics, and sent on to jail.
Besides Morgan, several others were injured in the crush of horses and police, including Nadine Lubka, whose nose was broken. Fifteen people in total were arrested; they all received disorderly conduct charges.
Except for a brief Associated Press story and some video and photos uploaded to CNN's iReport website by citizen journalists, there has been almost no corporate media coverage of this story.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Celtic Goddesses Reawaken in a Magical Tale of Love and Betrayal
Celtic Goddesses Reawaken in a Magical Tale of Love and Betrayal
By
Theresa Chaze
Magic, romance and karmic justice combine in a new Celtic fantasy novel from Theresa Chaze. Released as an ebook, which is available on her site, as well as part of the Amazon Kindle program, Nict For Ure Selfe (Not For Ourselves) honors the Celtic Goddesses and the Wiccan tradition.
Unlike most authors, who write magical fantasy, Theresa Chaze is a Wiccan Priestess who uses authentic magic in her novels. In many ways, her fiction can be considered a Book of Shadows.
After attending a local Pagan festival, Alyssa finds herself to be a target of Sheriff Deputy Nevel’s violent obsession. Her complaints only bring on more abuse. Her friends and coworkers are harassed. No one in in her life is safe from persecution.
Alyssa doesn't understand why he and his comrades singled her out. In desperation, she performs a karmic ritual so that she may understand his hatred of her. Instead of a message, her soul takes her spirit back to the time when the Goddesses and Gods of old had not yet given way to the Christos and clan traditions could mean life or death.
“Nict For Ure Selfe” (Not For Ourselves) a suspenseful tale of betrayal as traditions and love are tested by the changing times and greedy men whose lust for power continued into their next incarnations.
Nict For Ure Self (Not for Ourselves) is available in a PDF ebook through the author’s site at www.theresachaze.com or through the Amazon Kindle program.
An excerpt:
Alyssa struck the match. Instantly, the end burst into flame. She held it to the wick of the white candle until it ignited. Pinching off the match head, she placed on the table. Taking a deep breath, she flipped her long chestnut color braid back over her shoulder; it bounced and swung around her waste. Focusing on her intent, she started the ritual. “Goddesses--Maiden, Mother, Crone I call to thee and ask that you appear to me.” Picking up the candle, she held it above the surface of the water. Its glow illuminated just beyond the rim of the black bowl and reflected off the clear surface. “On this darkest of night, grant me the portal to make things right. Let me see clearly the moments of the past, so that I may understand what is happening at last.” Tapping the edge with the candlestick, the glass on glass echoed throughout the dark room. The vibration rippled through the water. “As I created a wave in the glass, so I ask you help me with my task.” She set the candlestick next to the bowl and placed her hands on either side palms down. “Let me see where his hatred of me had begun, so that his vengeance can be undone. Why he stalks me I know not why, yet I know they answer lies in times gone by. Take me back to the time and place, so that I may end the conflict with haste and grace.”” Picking up the four raven feathers, she held them above the candle. "Goddesses of the raven and night, who left these feathers as a symbol of your might. I call you now to come me, to create a justice that even the blind may see. I call your forth to this land to guide the karmic hand. For those who have done harm to me, let their reckoning begin now--so mote it be.” Placing the feathers equal distance around the bowl, Alyssa paused for a moment to let their energy settle around her.
Stretching her neck side to side, she took a deep breath and allowed her Priestess training to relax her body into a meditative state. The outer world fell away as she sank deeper within her self and started climbing the stairs to her own soul. Into the darkness, the staircase spiraled upward, until she reached the iridescent platform where her Akashic record was held. Suspended in the darkness of endless time, Alyssa looked for a guide to help her. But she was alone. In the past, there had always been someone there to act as a guide to help her face the challenge. Uncertain, she stepped up to the pedestal. If she was to atone for a past error, she would be give direction. However, if she was merely a player as another strutted and fretted through a karmic lesson, than she could do little more than watch. The book lay open before her. On it, fate continued to write. “Book of all my lives, show me karmic tie that echoes into this life.” The pages flipped, stopping twice before it came to rest on the life named Shannon Marie Cullen.
The image of a red hair young woman lifted up off the page and hovered above. Her heart shaped face still had the softness of youth. Yet the hazel eyes sparkled with old wisdom. She wore her dark auburn hair pulled back into a long, single braid. Although she seemed familiar, Alyssa felt no emotional connection to her. There was no bond or sense of being between them. Only a faint familiarity like a tune whose melody echoes in the back of your mind, yet you cannot remember the words or the context in which you heard it. She reached out to touch the image; it reached back. Yet before their fingertips touched, Shannon Marie vanished only to be replaced by a three dimensional screening of wooded forest. Rich and lush it sported multiple shades of green, tans and browns as the forest became fields and forest once again. As her perspective changed, Alyssa felt herself zooming to focus on the scene that was most important. Yet it was more than just pictures and sounds. The smell of the fields and rushing of the river below sparked memories and long sleeping emotions. No matter where her life led her, she could never find the safe sense of home. Fear always kept her from letting her roots grow too deep. She had never understood. Her childhood was no better or worse than anyone else's. Yet as her spirit drew closer, the familiarity once again made her crave the comfort of home.
Through breaks in the leaves, she saw two girls running quickly. She knew who they were, yet she didn't feel connected. Instead, like a moderated film, she watched them from above. Instead recalling her own memories, the information flowed to her in unspoken words and images as if someone was narrating their story to catcher her up with the story.
Shannon Marie ran breathlessly up the glen, quickly followed by her younger sister, Rachael. Although a year and two months younger, Rachael looked more like Shannon Marie's twin. Both girls favored their Scottish heritage with their flaming hair and outspoken temperaments. Their two older sisters, Elizabeth Marie and Katherine Anne favored their mother's French heritage both physically and in temperament. Fair-haired beauties they openly used their feminine assets to manipulate others to get what they wanted. The plain spoken of mannerism of the patriarch of the family along with his two youngest daughters frequently came into conflict with the matriarch and the eldest sisters' elitism as they boasted of their unclaimable link to the French thrown. They refused to see that no matter which man laid down with the mother, the child could lay no claim to parentage unless they were acknowledged by both the father and family. Jacqueline Marie Katherine de Medici may have lay with the King of France, but the daughter they created was conceived above the sheets--not beneath them. Jacqueline refused to be silenced at court about the parentage of her growing child within her. It was the reason Marie marked her for death. But instead of a curse, the midnight escaped to Scotland became a blessing as the people’s revolution sought out the privileged nobles
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Police Abuse: Video Interview with One of the People Detained During RNC Raids
Interview with one of the people arrested
http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2008/08/ramsey-co-sheriff-bob-fletchers-makes.html
Amy Goodman Arrested
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2008/08/ramsey-co-sheriff-bob-fletchers-makes.html
Amy Goodman Arrested
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
Monday, September 01, 2008
Permaculture Education Bus Seized by Twin Cities Police at RNC By Starhawk
Permaculture Education Bus Seized by Twin Cities Police at RNC By Starhawk
POLICE SEIZE PERMIBUS
Please Post Far and Wide including any Media Contacts You May Have
At approximately 6:25 pm on August 30, 2008 Minneapolis Police, Minnesota State Troopers, Ramsey County Sheriffs, Saint Paul Police, and University of Minnesota Police pulled over the Earth Activist Training Permaculture Demonstration Bus (Permibus) by exit 237 on Interstate 94. Initially the police told the people on the bus to exit. When the people on the bus asked if they were being detained they were told that they were but police wereunable to provide justification. When asked why they pulled the bus over they refused to answer. After repeated requests to explain why the bus had been stopped Officer Honican of the Minneapolis Police explained that this was just a routine traffic stop though he did not explain the reason for the traffic stop. The police then told Stan Wilson, the driver and registered owner of the Permibus, that they were going to impound the bus in case they wanted to execute a search warrant later. After more than an hour of being questioned by Stan and Delyla Wilson as to the legalities of their detainment and the impoundment of the Permibus, the police then informed Stan that the bus, which is legally registered as a passenger vehicle in the state of Montana, was being impounded for a commercial vehicle inspection. Shortly afterward Sergeant Paul Davis, a commercial vehicle inspector arrived on scene. Despite the polices insistence that the reason for impoundment was for a commercial vehicle inspection the Permibus crew were not allowed to remove anything from the bus including computers, toiletries, and 17-year-old Megan Wilson's shoes. The police finally allowed the animals to be removed from the Permibus before it was towed, leaving the Permibus family standing beside their chickens and dogs, homeless on the highway.
The Permibus was relocating from the Bedlam Theatre in Minneapolis, where they had spent the day teaching Urban Permaculture, to a friend's house in Saint Paul for a well deserved break. The Permibus has been in the Minneapolis area since August 2nd when the crew appeared at the Midtown Farmers Market for a morning of Permaculture education including Permaculture 101, chicken care, seed ball making for kids, and the Permi-puppet show. During the past month the Permibus has parked at several local businesses and, as a neighborly gesture of respect for local police, Mr. Wilson contacted the appropriate precincts just to let them know the Permibus was in the area and had permission from the business owners to be parked on their lot. Through this, as well as other casual discussions with Minneapolis and Saint Paul police officers, the Permibus crew found the local police to be interested and respectful. However on August 30th all that changed when, for no apparent valid reason the police pulled over and seized the Permibus. After the incident Stan Wilson said, "If the combined law enforcement of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Ramsey County, and the State of Minnesota can pull over and impound a vehicle and home used to teach organic gardening and sustainability, one has to wonder what it is our government really fears. After all, we seek to teach people that the real meaning of homeland security is local food, fuel and energy production. For that we have had our lives stolen by government men with guns."
As of now, after repeated requests to be present at any vehicle inspection, with an list of what they are inspecting for, as well as requests to be served any warrants for searches of the vehicles prior to a search and to be present during the search the Permi-family has been unable to ascertain the current status of the Permibus. On site Mr. Wilson was told that Officer Palmerranky was the inspector in charge of the case and would determine if the Permi-family's rights protecting them from unreasonable search and seizure would be respected. Neither Officer Palmerranky nor his supervisor has yet to return Mr. Wilson's calls. The loss of her home and possessions is particularly difficult on seventeen-year-old Megan Wilson. Megan, a shining example of what this country asks of today's youth, has dedicated herself to making positive changes in the world. She was the youth keynote speaker at the Local to Global conference in Phoenix AZ, has taught conflict resolution at youth shelters and is the outreach coordinator for the Skills for a New Millennium Tour, the family traveling educational project. Megan believes that, "While I understand that the world we live in is not as it should be I strive to live and teach in a way that shows the world how life could be. What I don't understand is why I can't get dressed for an evening out with friends in my own home without armed men stealing my life out from under me." The Permi-family, along with their dogs and Permaculture super-hero chickens are currently being housed by folks in the Twin Cities.
The Skills for a New Millennium Tour is a family education project that travels around the United States teaching homesteading, citizenship, and life skills at farmers markets, community gardens, churches, intentional communities, schools, and in people's living rooms. The Skills Tour is a donation supported project dedicated to providing tools for sustainable living, including Permaculture, to anyone who is interested, regardless of income. "We believe that any solution that is not accessible to the poor and urban areas is not a real solution for the future," states Delyla Wilson. Permaculture is a design system with ethics and principles that can be applied to food production, home design, and community building in order to increase sustainability in food production, energy production, and social systems. The Permibus is a rolling demonstration of small scale sustainable living with three people, three dogs, three chickens, and a box of worms as permanent residence. The chickens and worms are part of a closed-loop food productions composting system that supports the Permibus's traveling garden. For more information on the seizure of the Permibus, the Skills for the New Millennium Tour, or Permaculture, the Wilson's can be reached at 406-721-8427 or through email at skillstour@gmail.com. You can also see pictures and read stories about the last six months of their educational adventures at permibus.livejournal.com.
To our supporters: First we ask that as many people as possible contact precinct one in Minneapolis, MN at 612-673-5701 and Mayor Rybak at
Phone: (612) 673-2100 or
call 311 or call (612) 673-3000 outside Minneapolis.
Also call the Ramsey County Sheriff
Sheriff - Bob Fletcher 651-266-9300
and demand the immediate release of the Permibus.
We are also in desperate need of donations. Though we do not yet know the full cost of getting the permibus returned we know that it will include tow fee, impound fees, and legal fees. To donate contact us directly for a local address or...
Donate On-line:
Go to: www.earthactivisttraining.org/donate.htm
Click on: Donate Now!
Under "Gift Information" write: Permibus
Under "Please send acknowledgment of this gift to" write: skillstour@gmail.com
Donate by Mail:
Make check payable to: A.C.T.
On the "For" line write: Permibus
Send check to: A.C.T. 1405 Hillmount St. Austin, TX 787
Technorati Tags:
civil rights violations, Permaculture Education Bus Seized, police abuse, religious discrimination, RNC, Starhawk, Twin Cities Police, police abuse of power, civil rights violations, religious discrimination, Michigan, politics, Obama, Clinton, voters, revote, 2008 elections, fair voting, democrats, making votes count, Michigan Governor, political representatives, Michigan Voters, Florida voters, elections, hate crimes, lynching, racist, bigotry, civil rights violations, evil Christians, Goddess, Gods, magic, pagan, Thor, Thoth, Triple Goddess, wiccan, witchcraft, youth father elder, wiccan, pagan, religious rights, witch, witchcraft, magic,
POLICE SEIZE PERMIBUS
Please Post Far and Wide including any Media Contacts You May Have
At approximately 6:25 pm on August 30, 2008 Minneapolis Police, Minnesota State Troopers, Ramsey County Sheriffs, Saint Paul Police, and University of Minnesota Police pulled over the Earth Activist Training Permaculture Demonstration Bus (Permibus) by exit 237 on Interstate 94. Initially the police told the people on the bus to exit. When the people on the bus asked if they were being detained they were told that they were but police wereunable to provide justification. When asked why they pulled the bus over they refused to answer. After repeated requests to explain why the bus had been stopped Officer Honican of the Minneapolis Police explained that this was just a routine traffic stop though he did not explain the reason for the traffic stop. The police then told Stan Wilson, the driver and registered owner of the Permibus, that they were going to impound the bus in case they wanted to execute a search warrant later. After more than an hour of being questioned by Stan and Delyla Wilson as to the legalities of their detainment and the impoundment of the Permibus, the police then informed Stan that the bus, which is legally registered as a passenger vehicle in the state of Montana, was being impounded for a commercial vehicle inspection. Shortly afterward Sergeant Paul Davis, a commercial vehicle inspector arrived on scene. Despite the polices insistence that the reason for impoundment was for a commercial vehicle inspection the Permibus crew were not allowed to remove anything from the bus including computers, toiletries, and 17-year-old Megan Wilson's shoes. The police finally allowed the animals to be removed from the Permibus before it was towed, leaving the Permibus family standing beside their chickens and dogs, homeless on the highway.
The Permibus was relocating from the Bedlam Theatre in Minneapolis, where they had spent the day teaching Urban Permaculture, to a friend's house in Saint Paul for a well deserved break. The Permibus has been in the Minneapolis area since August 2nd when the crew appeared at the Midtown Farmers Market for a morning of Permaculture education including Permaculture 101, chicken care, seed ball making for kids, and the Permi-puppet show. During the past month the Permibus has parked at several local businesses and, as a neighborly gesture of respect for local police, Mr. Wilson contacted the appropriate precincts just to let them know the Permibus was in the area and had permission from the business owners to be parked on their lot. Through this, as well as other casual discussions with Minneapolis and Saint Paul police officers, the Permibus crew found the local police to be interested and respectful. However on August 30th all that changed when, for no apparent valid reason the police pulled over and seized the Permibus. After the incident Stan Wilson said, "If the combined law enforcement of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Ramsey County, and the State of Minnesota can pull over and impound a vehicle and home used to teach organic gardening and sustainability, one has to wonder what it is our government really fears. After all, we seek to teach people that the real meaning of homeland security is local food, fuel and energy production. For that we have had our lives stolen by government men with guns."
As of now, after repeated requests to be present at any vehicle inspection, with an list of what they are inspecting for, as well as requests to be served any warrants for searches of the vehicles prior to a search and to be present during the search the Permi-family has been unable to ascertain the current status of the Permibus. On site Mr. Wilson was told that Officer Palmerranky was the inspector in charge of the case and would determine if the Permi-family's rights protecting them from unreasonable search and seizure would be respected. Neither Officer Palmerranky nor his supervisor has yet to return Mr. Wilson's calls. The loss of her home and possessions is particularly difficult on seventeen-year-old Megan Wilson. Megan, a shining example of what this country asks of today's youth, has dedicated herself to making positive changes in the world. She was the youth keynote speaker at the Local to Global conference in Phoenix AZ, has taught conflict resolution at youth shelters and is the outreach coordinator for the Skills for a New Millennium Tour, the family traveling educational project. Megan believes that, "While I understand that the world we live in is not as it should be I strive to live and teach in a way that shows the world how life could be. What I don't understand is why I can't get dressed for an evening out with friends in my own home without armed men stealing my life out from under me." The Permi-family, along with their dogs and Permaculture super-hero chickens are currently being housed by folks in the Twin Cities.
The Skills for a New Millennium Tour is a family education project that travels around the United States teaching homesteading, citizenship, and life skills at farmers markets, community gardens, churches, intentional communities, schools, and in people's living rooms. The Skills Tour is a donation supported project dedicated to providing tools for sustainable living, including Permaculture, to anyone who is interested, regardless of income. "We believe that any solution that is not accessible to the poor and urban areas is not a real solution for the future," states Delyla Wilson. Permaculture is a design system with ethics and principles that can be applied to food production, home design, and community building in order to increase sustainability in food production, energy production, and social systems. The Permibus is a rolling demonstration of small scale sustainable living with three people, three dogs, three chickens, and a box of worms as permanent residence. The chickens and worms are part of a closed-loop food productions composting system that supports the Permibus's traveling garden. For more information on the seizure of the Permibus, the Skills for the New Millennium Tour, or Permaculture, the Wilson's can be reached at 406-721-8427 or through email at skillstour@gmail.com. You can also see pictures and read stories about the last six months of their educational adventures at permibus.livejournal.com.
To our supporters: First we ask that as many people as possible contact precinct one in Minneapolis, MN at 612-673-5701 and Mayor Rybak at
Phone: (612) 673-2100 or
call 311 or call (612) 673-3000 outside Minneapolis.
Also call the Ramsey County Sheriff
Sheriff - Bob Fletcher 651-266-9300
and demand the immediate release of the Permibus.
We are also in desperate need of donations. Though we do not yet know the full cost of getting the permibus returned we know that it will include tow fee, impound fees, and legal fees. To donate contact us directly for a local address or...
Donate On-line:
Go to: www.earthactivisttraining.org/donate.htm
Click on: Donate Now!
Under "Gift Information" write: Permibus
Under "Please send acknowledgment of this gift to" write: skillstour@gmail.com
Donate by Mail:
Make check payable to: A.C.T.
On the "For" line write: Permibus
Send check to: A.C.T. 1405 Hillmount St. Austin, TX 787
Technorati Tags:
civil rights violations, Permaculture Education Bus Seized, police abuse, religious discrimination, RNC, Starhawk, Twin Cities Police, police abuse of power, civil rights violations, religious discrimination, Michigan, politics, Obama, Clinton, voters, revote, 2008 elections, fair voting, democrats, making votes count, Michigan Governor, political representatives, Michigan Voters, Florida voters, elections, hate crimes, lynching, racist, bigotry, civil rights violations, evil Christians, Goddess, Gods, magic, pagan, Thor, Thoth, Triple Goddess, wiccan, witchcraft, youth father elder, wiccan, pagan, religious rights, witch, witchcraft, magic,
RNC2—Raid on the Convergence Center By Starhawk
RNC2—Raid on the Convergence Center
By Starhawk
It’s Friday night. Our Pagan Cluster is sitting on the bluff of the Mississippi having our first real meeting, when Lisa gets a call. The cops are raiding the Convergence Center, where we’re organizing meetings and trainings for the protests against the Republican National Convention. It’s not a role play, the caller says. It’s real.
Instantly, we jump up and hurry back the six or eight blocks to the old theater we are using for meetings, trainings and social gatherings. I ‘ve spent the last two days doing magical activism trainings, teaching people how to stay calm and grounded in emergency situations and when things get chaotic. Now it’s time to put the training into practice. Aaron, a tall, red-headed young man who could be one of my nephews strides along beside me. “Are you grounded?” I ask him. He nods, and runs ahead.
Nobody can keep up with Lisa, who speeds ahead like an arrow, walking, not running, but still covering the ground quickly. Andy and I trail behind. We’re often street buddies, because we’re both big, slow, and supremely calm and stubborn, willing to wade into almost any situation and become the immovable object.
We’re stopped by a line of cops just before we reach the building. They refuse to let us through, or to move their van which is blocking Scarecrow’s car. There’s an investigation underway, they say, and won’t say more.
Brush, our dear friend, is inside, having gone to a jail solidarity meeting, ironically enough. So are two very young people who had just joined our cluster that night. I try calling Brush’s cell phone, but get no reply.
We wait. That’s what you do when the cops have guns trained on kids inside a building. You wait, and witness, and make phone calls, and try to think of useful things to do.
We call lawyers. We call politicians. We try to call media. We call friends who might know politicians and media.
Through the kitchen door, we cansee young kids sitting on the floor, handcuffed. We walk across the street, back, made more phone calls. An ambulance is parked in front, and the paramedics head into the building, leaving a gurney ready. Susu, from her car around the corner, reports that the cops have been grabbing pedestrians from the street, forcing them down to the ground, handcuffing them.
Song, one of the local organizers, calls her City Council member. She wants to call the Mayor, Chris Coleman, who has promised that St. Paul will be as welcoming to protestors as to delegates, but no one has his home number.
What I have forgotten to tell people at the training is how much of an action is just this: tense, boring waiting, with a knot of anxiety in your stomach and your feet starting to hurt. Song talks to a helpful neighbor, who’s come over to find out what’s happening. He knows where the mayor lives, says it’s just a few blocks away, and draws us a map.
We decide to go and call on the Mayor, who could call off the cops. About five of us troop down there, through the soft night and a neighborhood of comfortable homes and wide lawns on the bluffs above the Mississippi. The Mayor’s house is a comfortable Dutch Colonial, and lights were on inside. We decide that just a few of us will go to the door, so as not to look intimidating. Song is a round, soft-bodied middle-aged woman with a sweet face. Ellen is a tiny brunette with a gap-toothed smile, and Lisa, formidable organizer though she is, looks slight and unthreatening. The rest of us hang back. Someone opens the door. Our friends have a conversation with the mayors’ wife, who is not pleased to be visited by constituents late at night, and who tells us we should call the office. The Mayor, she says, is asleep, and she will not wake him up.
We think a mayor who was doing his job would get up and go see what’s going on. Nonetheless, we head back to the convergence space.
A protestor has been released from the building. A small crowd has gathered across the street, and Fox News has arrived. They interview Song, who does her first ever Fox media spot. She tells them the truth—that people were in there watching movies—a documentary about Meridel Le Seuer. Meridel would be proud, and I’m glad she is with us in some form.
One by one, protestor’s trickle out. Now we get more pieces of the story. The cops burst in, with no warning. They pulled drew their guns on everyone—including a five year old child who was there with his mother, forced everyone down on the floor. It was terrifying.
They had a warrant, apparently, from the county, not the city, to search for ‘bomb making materials.’ They were searching everyone in the building, then one by one releasing them as they found nothing.
They continue to find nothing, as we wait through long hours. Meanwhile, more and more media arrives. These cops are not as creative as the DC cops during our first mobilization there against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Those cops confiscated the lunchtime soup—which included onions and chili powder, claiming they were materials for home made pepper spray.
We wait until the last person gets out. He’s a twenty year old who the cops have accused of stealing his own backpack—but apparently they relented.
And now it’s morning. I wake up to the news that cops have been raiding houses where activists are staying, bursting in with the same bogus warrant and arresting people, including a four year old child. They’ve arrested people at the Food Not Bombs house—a group dedicated to feeding protestors and the homeless. They’ve arrested others, presumably just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Poor Peoples’ Campaign, which had set up camp at Harriet Island, a park in the middle of the Mississippi, has also been harassed, its participants ordered to disperse and its organizers arrested.
Let me be perfectly clear here—all of us here are planning nonviolent protests against an administration which is responsible for immense violence, bombs that have destroyed whole countries, and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
This is the America that eight years of the Bush administration have brought us, a place where dissent is no longer tolerated, where pre-emptive strikes have become the strategy of choice for those who hold power, where any group can be accused of ‘bombmaking’ or ‘terrorism’ on no evidence whatsoever in order to deter dissent.
Please stand with us. Because it could be your home they are raiding, next.
Call the Mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Tell them you are outraged by these attacks on dissent. Urge them to let Poor People encamp and to let dissent be heard.
FLOOD THE MAYORS' OFFICES ASAP
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman
651-266-8510
Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak
(612) 673-2100
(612) 673-3000 outside Minneapolis
Technorati Tags:
civil rights violations, Permaculture Education Bus Seized, police abuse, religious discrimination, RNC, Starhawk, Twin Cities Police, police abuse of power, civil rights violations, religious discrimination, Michigan, politics, Obama, Clinton, voters, revote, 2008 elections, fair voting, democrats, making votes count, Michigan Governor, political representatives, Michigan Voters, Florida voters, elections, hate crimes, lynching, racist, bigotry, civil rights violations, evil Christians, Goddess, Gods, magic, pagan, Thor, Thoth, Triple Goddess, wiccan, witchcraft, youth father elder, wiccan, pagan, religious rights, witch, witchcraft, magic,
By Starhawk
It’s Friday night. Our Pagan Cluster is sitting on the bluff of the Mississippi having our first real meeting, when Lisa gets a call. The cops are raiding the Convergence Center, where we’re organizing meetings and trainings for the protests against the Republican National Convention. It’s not a role play, the caller says. It’s real.
Instantly, we jump up and hurry back the six or eight blocks to the old theater we are using for meetings, trainings and social gatherings. I ‘ve spent the last two days doing magical activism trainings, teaching people how to stay calm and grounded in emergency situations and when things get chaotic. Now it’s time to put the training into practice. Aaron, a tall, red-headed young man who could be one of my nephews strides along beside me. “Are you grounded?” I ask him. He nods, and runs ahead.
Nobody can keep up with Lisa, who speeds ahead like an arrow, walking, not running, but still covering the ground quickly. Andy and I trail behind. We’re often street buddies, because we’re both big, slow, and supremely calm and stubborn, willing to wade into almost any situation and become the immovable object.
We’re stopped by a line of cops just before we reach the building. They refuse to let us through, or to move their van which is blocking Scarecrow’s car. There’s an investigation underway, they say, and won’t say more.
Brush, our dear friend, is inside, having gone to a jail solidarity meeting, ironically enough. So are two very young people who had just joined our cluster that night. I try calling Brush’s cell phone, but get no reply.
We wait. That’s what you do when the cops have guns trained on kids inside a building. You wait, and witness, and make phone calls, and try to think of useful things to do.
We call lawyers. We call politicians. We try to call media. We call friends who might know politicians and media.
Through the kitchen door, we cansee young kids sitting on the floor, handcuffed. We walk across the street, back, made more phone calls. An ambulance is parked in front, and the paramedics head into the building, leaving a gurney ready. Susu, from her car around the corner, reports that the cops have been grabbing pedestrians from the street, forcing them down to the ground, handcuffing them.
Song, one of the local organizers, calls her City Council member. She wants to call the Mayor, Chris Coleman, who has promised that St. Paul will be as welcoming to protestors as to delegates, but no one has his home number.
What I have forgotten to tell people at the training is how much of an action is just this: tense, boring waiting, with a knot of anxiety in your stomach and your feet starting to hurt. Song talks to a helpful neighbor, who’s come over to find out what’s happening. He knows where the mayor lives, says it’s just a few blocks away, and draws us a map.
We decide to go and call on the Mayor, who could call off the cops. About five of us troop down there, through the soft night and a neighborhood of comfortable homes and wide lawns on the bluffs above the Mississippi. The Mayor’s house is a comfortable Dutch Colonial, and lights were on inside. We decide that just a few of us will go to the door, so as not to look intimidating. Song is a round, soft-bodied middle-aged woman with a sweet face. Ellen is a tiny brunette with a gap-toothed smile, and Lisa, formidable organizer though she is, looks slight and unthreatening. The rest of us hang back. Someone opens the door. Our friends have a conversation with the mayors’ wife, who is not pleased to be visited by constituents late at night, and who tells us we should call the office. The Mayor, she says, is asleep, and she will not wake him up.
We think a mayor who was doing his job would get up and go see what’s going on. Nonetheless, we head back to the convergence space.
A protestor has been released from the building. A small crowd has gathered across the street, and Fox News has arrived. They interview Song, who does her first ever Fox media spot. She tells them the truth—that people were in there watching movies—a documentary about Meridel Le Seuer. Meridel would be proud, and I’m glad she is with us in some form.
One by one, protestor’s trickle out. Now we get more pieces of the story. The cops burst in, with no warning. They pulled drew their guns on everyone—including a five year old child who was there with his mother, forced everyone down on the floor. It was terrifying.
They had a warrant, apparently, from the county, not the city, to search for ‘bomb making materials.’ They were searching everyone in the building, then one by one releasing them as they found nothing.
They continue to find nothing, as we wait through long hours. Meanwhile, more and more media arrives. These cops are not as creative as the DC cops during our first mobilization there against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Those cops confiscated the lunchtime soup—which included onions and chili powder, claiming they were materials for home made pepper spray.
We wait until the last person gets out. He’s a twenty year old who the cops have accused of stealing his own backpack—but apparently they relented.
And now it’s morning. I wake up to the news that cops have been raiding houses where activists are staying, bursting in with the same bogus warrant and arresting people, including a four year old child. They’ve arrested people at the Food Not Bombs house—a group dedicated to feeding protestors and the homeless. They’ve arrested others, presumably just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Poor Peoples’ Campaign, which had set up camp at Harriet Island, a park in the middle of the Mississippi, has also been harassed, its participants ordered to disperse and its organizers arrested.
Let me be perfectly clear here—all of us here are planning nonviolent protests against an administration which is responsible for immense violence, bombs that have destroyed whole countries, and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
This is the America that eight years of the Bush administration have brought us, a place where dissent is no longer tolerated, where pre-emptive strikes have become the strategy of choice for those who hold power, where any group can be accused of ‘bombmaking’ or ‘terrorism’ on no evidence whatsoever in order to deter dissent.
Please stand with us. Because it could be your home they are raiding, next.
Call the Mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Tell them you are outraged by these attacks on dissent. Urge them to let Poor People encamp and to let dissent be heard.
FLOOD THE MAYORS' OFFICES ASAP
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman
651-266-8510
Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak
(612) 673-2100
(612) 673-3000 outside Minneapolis
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
West Palm Beach: Raw Video: Police Beating Caught on Tape
To watch the video click here
The West Palm Beach, Florida police department has released a video that shows a robbery suspect being kicked and punched repeatedly by 3 officers back in May
In Bradenton Florida, This Prostitute had a good thing going "she thought"
The Good Old Boys had been giving her "protection" for Blowjobs and sex.
The police even gave her drugs,probably extorted off someone else during an arrest.
This had been verified by a lie detector test that she was telling the truth.
This beating and kidnapping came AFTER she told her story of the crooked cops and an "investigation" started. 8 15 2007
An internal affairs inquiry has confirmed allegations that former Bradenton police officers gave a prostitute drugs and money in exchange for sex, according to documents obtained today by the Herald-Tribune.
The internal affairs investigation, released by police officials this morning, indicates that a convicted prostitute was telling the truth when she made claims of sexual liasions with Officer Larry Pritchett and Detective Pete Biddlecome.
Another prostitute told investigators that she had sex with Officer Larry Anderson.
All three men resigned for "personal reasons" in recent weeks.According to interview transcripts, prostitute Dawn Marie Gibson says Pritchett had sex with her five times, gave her a total of $127 and five pieces of crack cocaine and offered to keep her safe from arrest. Biddlecome, according to the reports, received oral sex from Gibson in a squad car and later gave her $10. Anderson had sex with a 24-year-old prostitute in a police substation, internal affairs investigators concluded.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/...
http://invenice.net/content/view/2372...
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Nict For Ure Selfe (Not For Ourselves): Book Trailer
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jk8S7AVw5E to watch the video.
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